The Mirror for Magistrates

The Mirror for Magistrates is a collection of English poems from the Tudor period. The first edition was published in 1559. These poems were written by different writers. The poems are about the lives and the tragic ends of historical figures. They are concerned with expounding the proper behaviour of a prince and the proper relation between ruler and ruled. In taking characters from the time of Richard II to that of Henry VIII and making them speak of their fortunes, the authors seek to show a mirror, in a way, to those who govern regarding the consequences of good or bad governance. The best poems are Induction and Buckingham's Complaint by Thomas Sackville.